SOD #25

SOD #25
84 pg, fullsize, English

Interview
Dimmu Borgir, Lordi, Grimm, All Out War, Pyrexia, Odious Mortem, Downlord, Legion of The Damned, Battlelore, Nox, Dodsferd, Dying Fetus, Reanimator, Onslaught, Forest of Impaled, Dark Messiah, Astarte, Bloodsoaked, Mors Principium Est

Nothing changes in this issue. I now noticed most of the stuff reviewed got lot of skulls (meaning they are good) but this can be probably they omitted the crap one (people say bad publicity is still a publicity). The band that becomes the reason in buying this outdated issue is ANTAEUS which is done by Octavio. The typesetting and layout might look boring considering this is pro-magazine but I like the full page band picture before the interview starts. I managed to get some used copies of ANVIL Magazine, another magazine done by them. Let see whether that magazine offer something different or not.

SOD #23

SOD #23
82 pg, fullsize, English

Interview
Celtic Frost, Witchery, Bestial Mockery, Yakuza, Cretin, Lair of The Minotaur, Torture Killer, Surrender of Divinity, Non Human Level, Summoning, Schizo, Sodom, Merrimack, Torture

Most magazine used a bit reduced font size but not them. Layouts are also normal type with no fancy design. Questions by DH are a bit easy. Mostly it will starts with "Tell me about...". I think this made his trademark. But Octavio is different, looks a bit intelligent. There are lots of reviews but not in depth one. Reviews (only audio stuff) are rated with "skulls" and 666 skulls being the highest points (Pro Patria Finlandia, Metal Black are among them). This issue comes with free Twilight Distro samplerCD. I bought this because Surrender of Divinity on the front cover. I checked their website and it says the name have been changed to DOA.

Contact
c/o David Horn
731 Heatherstone Drive
High Ridge, MO 63049

E-mail
sod@sodmag.com

Web
http://www.sodmag.com/

Antichrist #9 (2009)

Antichrist #9 (2009)
48 pg, A4, pro-print, English/Russian

Interview
Graveyard, Colosseum, Guillotine, KB, Maximum Perversion, Hellhound, Mynd Snare, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Agathodaimon, Nachtgeschrei, Ordalion, Mortus Est, Planar Evil, Obscure, Witchtrap, Unlight, Zerstorer, Autoeroticasphyxium Zine, Diathra, Wizard

Article
Kunstkamera of Petr Great Horror

Scene Report
Costa Rica

The last issue I got was issue #6 and it was a photocopied/xerox zine. Now they are pro-printed magazine and this is a major improvement. In the editorial page there is some topless girl holding the mag. Nice! Page numbered with TOC. Very neat layout but not in the fancy type like Terrorizer. 3 columns per page and all in black and white (only front cover color printed). English is understandable but not all the content here in English, Ordalion & Mortus Est are in Russian. Reviews cover music (arranged in alphabetical order, rated and mostly have their front cover) with all formats combine in one section and also "Press Review". The editor also run a label which have some Pathogen-enic controversy. The articles available are not really important for me except for "Still Young But Forgotten" which is about band that couldn’t be famous and split in 80's. In this issue he talks about Slaughter Lord.

Contact
c/o Aleksandr Maksymov
P.O.Box 203,
Luhanks 91001,
Ukraine

E-mail
mailto:dcpacz @ gmail . com

Web
http://www.antichrist.deadshop.info/

Escritas do Subsolo #2 (2009)

Escritas do Subsolo #2 (2009)
48 page, full size, pro-printed, English

Interview
The Stone, The Wizard of Doom, Decayed, Graveyard, Vorkuta, Necrogoat Heresy / War Flagellation Productions, Undersave, Vulturine, Deathrow, Verzivatar

Article
Attila The Hunt, H.P. Lovecraft

"Spelling from The Underground"; that's the meaning of the zine's name. Great on the layout and looks very professional except on some part where black text on dark background which made it a bit difficult to read. The questions are good and the answer by the bands made it even more interesting to read. I should add that some questions are really tough, as tough as my SPM exam. The editor really read a lot so some questions deal with history or science, etc. And these questions are 'exclusive', it is not being asked twice to other bands. Surprisingly the black metal bands can also answer it, meaning they are not "brainless panda metal", like some zine are saying. The reviews not rated and only cover audio stuff. They cover really obscure bands, at least for me because some bands I never heard of before or read about them in other zine. Some info about the zine can be found from their web/blog as well as other contact details.

Web
http://escritasdosubsolo.blogspot.com

Mandrake #1 (2000)

Mandrake #1 (2000)
52 pg, A4, pro-printed, English

Interview
Morbid Angel, Limbonic Art, Mayhem, Cirith Gorgor, Detonation, Shadows Fall, Emperor, Heresiarh, Your Shapeless Beauty, Ancient Rites, Enid

Scene Report
Portugal

The editor, Rahab (not sure whether this is the same Rahab in the band Ordo Draconis) & Joris, did a good job for this issue in terms of the interviews made and having the zine printed in glossy paper although the layout is simple. The pages are numbered and have table of content. Small font size is used with 3 columns per page for interviews and 4 columns for review and band pictures are put on the background. Live interviews are much more interesting since the answer is longer for example Morbid Angel (and very long one!). I have to admit it is weird to read very long intro on Mayhem. Reviews arranged in alphabetical order, not rated and number of tracks and duration for CD are also included. The arrangement of picture is quite different. Normally we put them before the review of that release and not after the review. Review section of demo also available and with track number but without front cover. The scene consumed 9 pages which cover the most recent (of that time) to older bands as well info on distro & zine. A very comprehensive report!

This is an old issue but somehow some distro still have some copies in 2010. I'm not really successful in getting latest info from the internet. Tried the email address but it bounced.

Contact
Mandrake Magazine
Archimedesstraat 12,
NL-2871, XL Schoonhoven,
The Netherlands

E-mail
mandrake_mag@hotmail.com

Vampir #14 (2008)

Vampir #14 (2008)
72 page, half size, pro-print, English

Interview
Death Heaven, Witchtrap, Dimentianon, Black Sister, Anima Damnata, Strike Master, Embryotomy / Formless Terror, Farscape, Bestial Holocaust

In the previous issue, Darko mention about expecting a baby. In this issue you can see the picture of the baby girl, making sign of the devil! This issue starts with foreword by Hellavenger of Communion (Chile) and editor's call for boycott to webzine & mp3. Right after this it continued with "Vinly Empire". The text is hard to read including some of the reviews but in "Vinly Empire" is even harder due to the font type used. About the interviews, it is just another great chat like #13. Physically and the layout is like #13 (2 or 3 columns per page), page numbered but not table of content. Some changes would be introduction on the before the interviews. Beside reviews, there are some gig reports in the middle of the zine. In "Rip off Alert", the scam in Davao, Philippines have been unearthed but I think by now all should have known about this. Some people like me already become a victim. Just like other editor, Darko also have this "boycott webzine" attitude. Mee too! But the writing does send a chill to my nerve. I'm also a webzine. Probably I'm among the few who writes review of paper zine. Anyway a new issue already out in 2010.

Vampir #13 (2008)

Vampir #13 (2008)
60 page, half size, pro-print, English

Interview
Moder, Hellspirit, Xerion, Hacavitz, Incantation, Desaster, Arhont, Estuary, Infest

Article:
Tsunami of Malaysian Metal Scene (written by Ed of Sangwitok Zine)

A great small size zine. A very long editorial too! It's already the 13th issue, as I expected the content is not the thing I should be worry about. Well-done! Good chat but too many smiley (some people don’t like looking at happy face). No introduction like most zine does before the interview. It will start straight to the interviews. The negative point if the printing quality, looks like the printer is running out of toner. Reviews cover audio ("Vinyl Empire" for vinly & "Album reviews") and also "Written in Blood" (zine review). Hereafter did get a 'nice' review here. I think this is the first place where I read about the rip off and picture of that bastard. One of the original sections is "Metal Diary". It’s about life diary of a metalhead. This issue feature Jerasak of Witchhammer Prod & Carlos of Rawblackcult and they will talk about what they do from waking up from sleep in the morning till they back to bed at night. Interesting idea!

Contact
c/o DARKO KRSTESKI
UL. 'KOCE METALEC' 2V/14
1000 SKOPJE
MACEDONIA

E-mail
vampirzine @ yahoo . com

Web
http://vampirzine.110mb.com